Flexible dispensing spout for containers



June 29, 1948. R. F. MARKEN FLEXIBLE DISPENSING sPoUT FOR CONTAINERS Filed sept. 8, 1944 www ATTORNEY.

Patented June 29, 1948 [UNITED STAT-,Es oFiFlcE FLEXIBLE msPENsmsPoirn-Fon CONTAINERS Rudolph `lXfMarken, Clity,lh'l\ro. ligcvplcationV September 8, 1944,"Serial No. 553,172 s'oiaims. (angela-528) Thisinventionrelates to containers for pourab-le substances, and has for a primary aim the provision `of a compact, extendible spout, applicableto the container after the same isconstructed or adaptedto form a part of the body i `A further aim of this invention is to provide a dispensing `spout for containers, constructable as aunit,.applicable to the side of a container without altering the design thereof, and having unique parts disposable to produce a trough-like spout upon manual manipulation of aslidable portion of thespout structure. I l

Other objects of the invention including the mannerof assembling the parts of the dispensing spout; the way in which the sheet material is formed, foldedand treatedto produce `anex- `tensible spout; and the details through the 4rnedium whereof the spout is rendered practicable tohandle materials, will appear during the course of the vfollowing specification, referring tothe accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1. is a fragmentary perspective view .of a containershowing a. dispensing spout therefor, attached thereto and made in accordance with the'lpresent invention. l

4Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the `dispensing spout extending to the operative condition. I

fFig. 3is 4an enlarged `fragmentary detailed usectional View taken online'III-III of Fig. .1.

Fig. `fi is a fragmentary vertical `sectional detailed view taken on line` IV-IV of Fig. 2. Y

xFig. `5 is a detailed fragmentary cross sectional View taken on line V-Vrof Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the back face of the dispensing spout unit removed from association with the container. Fig. 7 ,is afragrnentary sectional view through adispensing spout in an extended condition and embodying a modified form of the invention; and

. Fig. 8 is `a plan View of a blank forming apart .of `axdispensing spout, such as that illustrated in Fig. .7.

It has ybecome the current custom to employ containers for liquids, and particularly rnill,V that iare made fof brous sheet materialandwhich are destroyed after a Singleuse. It is .with such a containerfthat the dispensing spout made as illustrated, is particularly useful.`

The vdispensing spout -A embodying my invention-is, however, applicable-to containers of all types from ,whichapourable substance is to be emptiedfwithout openingone ofthe walls of the containermore thanto the entent of `forming a relatively small window orhole therethrough.

For vpurpose of clarifying zthe invention, the preferred, lembodimentiof the dispensing spout as it `isfassociatedwith amilk container, lwill be `specifed- Container Iuincludes atleast one side wall I2 against which the pouring `spout assemblyis secured either duringthe manufacture of container Ill, or after the same has beenmade, or actually delivered tothe summer. i

pouring spout .assembly comprises a section of vsheet material I4, slit, as at. I6, -I8 and 20 -tooutline aportionjZZ of section I4 that may be swunsfabquthinee-line 24,.. .o I YWhen section I listin place, its marginal edges areglued, `or otherwise securedas at 26, directly totheouter faceofgwall I 2.. This association Ibetween section I4. and WaILIZfprOvides a thin pocket 2,48Wherein.- lies a fiat, `flexible element 30 formed in blank, ,as shown in Fig. 6. Slits 32' extend inwardlyfrom thegannular periphery of elementSUJtOVapOintonthe line ofv hinge 24, and these slits 32 Ewith the line, of l.hinge lying below element ,30, forma tongue 54 whichv isglued `through the. employment ofE 4adhesive 36, directly tothe rinner face of section I4. i h

Elementll is substantially disc-shaped'land a segmentthereofl on each side of the opening 38, formed when portion'22' is swung outwardly, has

'tunumber` of embossed lines `l0 converging .to a

pointadjcenttothe lineof hinge 2,4. `That part of element 3,0 underlying portion `22` issecured thereto `by glue or'adhesive 42:totheend that whenvportion 22is pulled outwardly, the element 3U fwill; follow andestablish a trough, such as showningrig 2.' l

AThis vtifioughis Ufshaped innltransverse cross "section andfha'sA parallel upstanding sides formed of lthe t,portion of j element `9i), which is embossed with linesbfbendfll. These lines of embossment 40 successively come into engagement with the edgesmofsection ,I4 formed by slits I6 `and `I8 as rportion.22Fisswungoutwardly ariddownwardly to 'the angle Qf `inclination bestffsuitablefor drawing off `the liquid within containerfl 0.

and that part remaining is not embossed nor weakened so that it will serve as a limiting element for the outward movement of the embossed portions of element 30. Means is provided, therefore, to stop the movement of parts of element 30 through opening 38. i

It is contemplated that this pouring spout assembly shall bep-laced upon `a milk container where the line of hinge 24, and therefore the bottom of theY spout, is substantially on or slightly above the cream line of the milk in container I0. After the spout has been formed, a hole 44 is [for-med through any suitable tool, and after such operation the cream is free to orw from container Ill along the spout and into a suitable receptacle.

The wall of container I is provided with perforations or lines of weakness 46 to set off an area in wall yI2 substantially in register with opening 38, thus, after the crea-m has been drawn from container I0, that portion of wall I2 defined by lines 46, may be removed and the milk poured from the container through the spout.

In `the form of the invention shown in Fig. '7, an element made of flexible material and having a form such as lshown in Fig. 8, is employed. This slightly modified form Kprovides shoulders 48 which are drawn against the inner face of section I4 at the edge formed by slit 20 as illustrated in Fig. 7. Also, the periphery or portion 5D of the edge of this member 52, is eccentric to the line of hinge and therefore, gradually approaches the edge of section I4 formed by slit ZIJ as shoulders 4B lie near this edge. Shoulder 48 and edge 5U, therefore, both establish stops for the limiting of the outward and downward movement of portion 22 and that part of the element 52 which is drawn through opening 38. i Y,

In some instances, portion 22 may be eliminated entirely and opening 38 provided through section I4 with the underlying part of either element 30 or 52 extending across opening 38 where it may be grasped and drawn to a conditionl shown in Fig. 2. In such instances, a lip 54 on element 52 may be gripped by the operator, but where portion 22 is used, a finger-nail notch 56 is cut into portion 22 when slit 20 is created.

T-he component parts of the pouring spout assembly are preferably made of fibrous sheet material and where the unit is to be applied by the consumer, ,the same should be packed or otherwise arranged to have the face of element 3! over which the milk is to travel, maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. For example, the unit shown in Fig. 6 may have the face thereof covered by a removable Iprotective sheetthat will maintain the exposed sunface of element v30 in a clean condition.

The pocket 28 permits the return of the portions o-f element 30 when theA spout has been used whereby hole 44 is closed to preclude the entrance of foreign matter. y

It is understood that dispensing spouts for containers having 'physical characteristics different from those illustrated and described, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus-described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Paten-t is:

1. A -container comprising a closed hollow body for-med of sheet material and including a side wall; a section of sheet material secured to the side wall and provided with slits setting off a porti-on of the said section, said portion being swingable about a line of hinge to an angular position `with respect to the section to leave ari opening in the section; and a fiat flexible element disposed between the side wal-1 and said section overlying the opening, said element being attached to the set off portion and formed to have a part thereof drawn through the opening from each side thereof when the portion is swung to the angular position to combine there: with in producing a spout, said element having slits therein forming a tongue attached to said section, the portions of said element adjacent each side of the tongue being lfree to swing laterally therefrom as the sa-id part is drawn through the opening, said portions of the element forming stops to limit the swinging of the said portion and the amounts of the element that are withdrawn through the opening.

2. A container comprising a closed hollow body formed of sheet material and including a side wall; a section of sheet material secured to the side wall and provided with slits setting off a portion of the said section, said portion being swingable about a line of hinge to an angular position with respect to the section to leave an opening in the section; and a fiat flexible element disposed between the side wall and said section overlying the opening, said element being attached to the set off portion and formed to have a part thereof drawn through the opening when the portion is swung to the angular position to combine therewith in producing a spout having bottom wall and a pair of spacedapart side walls extending from the bottom wall, said fiat flexible element having a Ipar of segments having arcuate edges, each edge being provided with a shoulder extending radially outwardly therefrom to engage the section when the set off portion has reached a predetermined angular position extending outwardly anddownwardly from the section, said segments each merging with a respective side wall of the element lforming said spout.

3. A container comprising a closed hollow body formed of sheet material and including a side wall; a section of sheet material secured to the side wall and provided with slits setting off a portion of the said section, said portion being swingable about a line of hinge to an angular position with respect to the section to leave an opening in the section; and a at flexible element having a fixed and a shiftable `part disposed between the side wall and said' section attached to the set ofi portion and formed to have a segment of the shiftable part thereof drawn through the opening when the yportionv is swung to the angular position to combine therewith in producing a spout, other segments of the shiftable part being formed to remain between the side wall and the section when the spout is produced, to limit the 'swinging movement of said portion, the part of the element drawn through the opening being substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section.

4. A container comprising a closed hollow body formed of sheet material and including a side wall; a section of sheet material having vits marginal edges secured to the side wall to form a narrow pocket and having an opening provided therethrough; and aflat flexible element disposed in the pocket formed to have a part thereof rendered sufficiently flexible to be drawn through the opening and into angular position to the side wall to produce a spout, said fiat flexible element having relatively inflexible portions incapable of being drawn through the opening and 5 forming stops thereon to limit the amoun-t of the element dra-Wn through the opening, said portions being movable laterally away from each other as the element is drawn through the openm ing.

5. A container comprising a closed hollowbody formed of sheet material and including a side Wall; a sec-tion of sheet material secured to the side wall to form a pocket and provided with slits setting oi a portion of said section, said portion being swingable about a line of hinge to an angular position with respect to the section to leave an opening inthe section; and a normally flat flexible element of sheet material disposed in the pocket, said element being slit to deiinc a part having attachment to the said section to prevent relative bodily movement of the element with respect to the side Wall and the section, and a part having attachment to the set off portion of the section provided with areas drawa'ble through the opening from each side respectively thereof when said porti-on is swung to the angular position to combine therewith `a pair of side walls and a (bottom lWall, and areas remaining in the pocket to serve as stops when the first mentioned areas are extended, that part of the element forming the side walls of the spout being movable from a position substantially paralle] to the section to a position perpendicular thereto as the same is moved Ifrom and to the spout forming position respectively. 

